Online will account for 20% of all Christmas sales
Online retail will reach £8.9bn this Christmas, representing 20% of all UK sales, according to a report from Kelkoo.
The report, undertaken by the Centre for Retail Research on behalf of Kelkoo, predicted online shopping would account for a fifth of all shopping this Christmas, a 24% year-on-year growth from £7.2bn.
Kelkoo predicted retail sales would increase by 1.9% – £832m – this Christmas after overall retail sales fell by £27m last year.
The research predicted that if etail’s 24% annual growth rate and all retail’s 6% rate continue, then by December 2015 online sales will account for over 50% of all Christmas shopping.
Bruce Fair, managing director of Kelkoo UK, said, “It’s been a very tough year for retailers around the UK, so a busy Christmas is the news they’ve all been waiting for. There’s been talk of green shoots for some time now, but it’s taken a while for retailers to see any clear signs of a recovery. A seasonal cash injection will help create jobs and generate a renewed sense of optimism across the sector.”
The news comes despite the fact that online retailers are concerned the ongoing postal strikes will affect consumer confidence in online retail.
This story first appeared on newmediaage.co.uk
